Lullaby
by wickedsingularity
Summary: [One shot] What would Leonard do to help you sleep?


The room was dark when Leonard entered. He expected that, it was late. The brief moment the light from the hallway lit up the desk, counter and replicator, it showed nothing out of the ordinary. But there was something that made him frown. The quiet seemed wrong.

"Computer, lights at 20 percent."

He gazed around the room, everything seemed to be in order. With ears strained to listen for anything other than the hum of the warp core, he moved towards the bedroom. There he saw her, lying in the middle of the bed like a starfish stark naked and with eyes wide open.

"Darlin'? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

She only replied with a frustrated groan.

"One of those nights?"

Grunt.

Leonard turned his back and began to peel off the pale blue uniform, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He knew very well how frustrating it could be to suffer with insomnia, but he had to admit he found her infuriatingly cute when she was frustrated. The sounds she made, the faces she pulled. It's what first made him notice her, that one day ages ago when she was forced by her head of department to visit the medbay after being bitten by an unknown creature on an away mission. She claimed it was very unnecessary and she had better things to do, but the threat of being transferred had her complying.

"Can I give you a scan?" he asked, setting the tricorder he always had fastened to his belt on the counter as he pulled his pants off.

"Sure."

Wearing just his underwear, Leonard fiddled with the tricorder as he approached her on the bed, still in the same starfish position. Her eyes followed his every move, their usual sparkle replaced with exhaustion and, from what he could see in the low light, a red tinge to the whites. The device in his hands made a few faint beeping noises, he nodded and then switched it off. "Everything is in order. But you do look awfully tense. I was planning on taking a shower, but maybe we could take a bath instead?"

She didn't reply right away but stared at him. He could almost see her mind working, trying to decide if it was worth getting up for. But then she yawned and rolled her eyes. "Yes, please," she said and sat up. "Bath bomb?"

Leonard chuckled. "Sure, we'll use one of your bombs. Come on." He held out his hand and she grabbed it, letting him pull her up and to her feet.

"How was your day?" she asked, squeezing his hand lightly on the way to the bathroom.

Leonard told her all about his day in medbay as he drew the bath, pulled out a couple of ridiculously fluffy white towels – definitely not Starfleet issued, and looked through her collection of bath bombs. She was leaning on the sink, eyes still following his every move. He selected a lavender scented bomb to help relax her and dropped it into the water before deciding the tub was full enough. The water began fizzing merrily, the faint smell of lavender filling the bathroom. "Go on, climb in, love."

She let out another yawn and pushed off from the sink to test the temperature with her fingers, glancing at Leonard as she did. "Hmm. Perfect."

"Did you expect anything else?" He raised a dark eyebrow.

"Not really." She smiled playfully and stepped into the tub, sinking down into the fizzing water with a drawn-out moan.

Another smile crossed his face as he pulled off his underwear and socks, before climbing in and settling down behind her. "Computer, bathroom lights at 20 percent." The bright lights dimmed slowly and she wiggled herself closer to Leonard, leaning back into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

For a few moments they sat in silence, the fizzing of the bath bomb the only sound to be heard.

"Talk to me some more, Len," she requested. "Your voice is soothing."

He went into detail about his day, as much as he could without breaking any confidentialities or talking about something disgusting. Then he moved onto his plans for the next day. All the while he spoke he massaged her thighs, gently rubbed her stomach, ran his fingers up and down her arms. To an outsider it would have looked sexual, but there was nothing sexual about it. Just intimate. Calming.

When he began listing the supplies he needed to stock up on, he pushed her forward a bit and began working out the knots and kinks in her shoulders and neck. The bath bomb was settling down a bit now, but the smell of lavender still lingered in the air.

"You're wound tight, darlin'," he commented as he worked out a particularly hard knot. She winced at the pain, but grit her teeth, knowing it would feel so much better after.

"Been on too many away missions lately," she said, moaning as a knot seemed to just melt under Leonard's hands.

"There's no one Jim trusts more to deal with alien creatures."

"I know... Still, threaten him with a hypospray if he takes me on the next two or three." She chuckled sleepily.

"I will, sweetheart." He knew she didn't mean it. Away missions were exhausting, but she loved to be there for first contact with all these creatures and wouldn't have it any other way. "I think that's enough massage for one day. Or you'll feel like a big bruise tomorrow. We can't have that." He pulled at her to lean back again, and she rested her head on his shoulder, turning her head a bit to place a kiss on his chin.

"Good massage, doctor. Love those magic hands."

"I know you do."

Before silence could settle around them again, Leonard began humming quietly. It was a slow tune, sounded like a lullaby. His voice vibrated through his chest and she was growing heavy against him.

"What's that?" she asked, words slurring a bit.

He took a few moments to answer, letting the song come to a natural pause. "Something my mom used to sing to me when I was little. Can't remember the words anymore, but the melody has stuck with me."

"Hmm. Never heard it before. Continue, please."

He did. One hand rested securely on her stomach to keep her in place, the other danced up and down her arm and thigh. He heard her breathing come heavier and heavier, and a quick glance down told him that her eyes were fluttering, trying and failing to stay open.

"I think you're ready, darlin'," he then said.

"No." She pouted, but the protest was feeble.

Leonard rose and helped her up and out of the tub. He grabbed one of the fluffy towels and dried her off so gently, as if she was a fragile vase. And seeing how sleepy she was, she probably would topple over if he pressed too hard. There was a small goofy smile on her face that told him he had been very successful in relaxing her. So, before she could wake up again, he quickly dried himself off too, drained the tub, and lifted her up bridal style.

"Bed now."

"Okay."

Since the covers were already in a pile at the foot of the bed, he gently laid her down on her side and hurried to the other side and slid in next to her. He reached for the covers and pulled her close under it.

She made a hum of satisfaction and seemed to melt in his arms. Her eyes were closed, her sleepy breaths wafting over his neck. "Night. Love you, Len," she said.

"Love you too," he said, but had a feeling she was already too far into dreamland to hear him. The weight of the day finally settled over him too and sleep pulled at his eyes. He took a deep breath, the scent of lavender still lingering to her skin, and then he too drifted off.


End file.
